'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' host Regis Philbin passes away at 88

Regis Philbin, the talk- and game-show host who regaled America over morning coffee with Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly Ripa for decades, and who made television history in 1999 by introducing the runaway hit Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, died on Friday night. He was 88.

His death was announced by his family in a statement. It did not say where he died or specify the cause.

Regis, as he was universally known, was a TV personality for nearly six decades and an ABC superstar since 1988, when his New York talk show went national. 

But he also wrote five books, appeared